Lunch day 4: Windies make inroads, need four more wickets for victory

Georgetown, Guyana, CMC – Darren Sammy struck twice in the last half-hour before lunch to lift West Indies chances of a victory in the first Digicel Test against Pakistan on Sunday.

The West Indies captain removed Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq for 52 and Mohammad Salman for a duck in the space of three balls, as the visitors, chasing 219 for victory, reached 153-6 at the interval on the fourth day. Umar Akmal on 39 and Abdur Rehman on five were the not out batsmen.

Sammy has captured 2-22 runs from 12 overs, but Rampaul has been the pick of the West Indies bowlers with 3-31 from 17 overs. Until Sammy’s intervention, Pakistan were coasting, after Ravi Rampaul gave West Indies a bright start, when he spectacularly bowled Asad Shafiq middle stump for 42 in the third over of the day, following a fourth-wicket stand of 81 that resurrected the visitors from a perilous two runs for three wickets the previous day.

West Indies were then frustrated by a stand of 52 between Misbah, who became the first batsman to reach 50 in the match, and Umar Akmal for the fifth wicket. However, Sammy made a crucial breakthrough, when he trapped Misbah lbw and claimed Salman in similar fashion to slow Pakistan’s progress.

Sammy’s two dismissals set a new record for the most lbws in a Test, eclipsing the 17 between the two sides 18 years ago at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad.

West Indies are seeking their first victory in a Test since they beat England by an innings and 23 runs in February 2009 at Sabina Park in Jamaica.